Hollywood and Horsepower Show, July 2, 2026

Hollywood And Horsepower Show with Mark Otto

Guest: Top Gun Matthew Buckley, best known as Wiz Buckley

From Fighter Jets to Healing: Matthew “Wiz” Buckley on Mission, Trauma, and No Fallen Heroes

Episode Summary

A Story Behind the Story Takes Flight

Mark Otto opens Hollywood and Horsepower by explaining why this replayed conversation matters: Matthew “Wiz” Buckley brings together aviation, service, finance, trauma, and charitable work through No Fallen Heroes. The episode frames Buckley as both a former Navy fighter pilot and a founder focused on helping veterans, first responders, and family members facing serious emotional and psychological struggles.

The Neighbor Who Lit the Fuse

Buckley traces his love of flying to childhood in New Jersey, where a neighbor in the Air National Guard made fighter aviation feel larger than life. A dramatic F-106 flyover helped cement a lifelong goal: he wanted to fly Navy fighter jets from aircraft carriers, not simply become a pilot.

The Navy Pyramid and the Top Gun Standard

The conversation follows Buckley through Navy ROTC, Pensacola, jet training, F/A-18 Hornets, deployments aboard the Abraham Lincoln and Kitty Hawk, work as a Landing Signal Officer, and later training connected to Top Gun. He explains the competitive pyramid of naval aviation and the demanding mental discipline required to become both a “good guy” and an adversary pilot.

September 11th and the Weight of Readiness

Buckley recalls September 11th from the perspective of an American Airlines pilot and Navy reservist who raced to Naval Air Station Fort Worth as the attacks unfolded. He describes the surreal possibility of being ordered to defend American airspace, including the moral weight of potentially intercepting a civilian airliner.